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Microsoft Blocks Lebanon-Based Hackers Targeting Israel

The hackers were abusing Microsoft’s file hosting service, OneDrive, to target private and government organizations in Israel.

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microsoft blocks lebanon-based hackers targeting israel

Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) has successfully identified and disabled an attack orchestrated by a Lebanon-based activity group called Polonium.

The group was abusing Microsoft’s file hosting service, OneDrive, to target private and government organizations in Israel. Based on its tools and techniques, it seems that Polonium is affiliated with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS).

“Polonium has targeted or compromised more than 20 organizations based in Israel and one intergovernmental organization with operations in Lebanon over the past three months,” explains MSTIC.

The good news is that all legitimate OneDrive accounts are completely safe because the attack didn’t involve any security issues or vulnerabilities. Instead, Polonium used the file hosting service for command and control to execute part of their attack operation.

Polonium’s targets include primarily organizations in critical manufacturing, IT, and defense industry. “In at least one case, Polonium’s compromise of an IT company was used to target a downstream aviation company and law firm in a supply chain attack that relied on service provider credentials to gain access to the targeted networks.”

MSTIC is still actively investigating how Polonium gained initial access to many of their victims, but it knows that most victims were running Fortinet appliances. Based on this fact, MSTIC suspects that the CVE-2018-13379 vulnerability was used to gain access inside the targeted organizations.

Also Read: Is Your Phone Hacked? How To Find Out & Protect Yourself

While the threat has been contained, there are certain actions MSTIC recommends all organizations to take to protect themselves, such as confirming that Microsoft Defender Antivirus is updated, enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA), and blocking in-bound traffic from specific IP addresses.

This isn’t the first instance of threat actors using OneDrive and other similar file hosting services to achieve their nefarious goals. Last year, for example, Microsoft discovered that OneDrive was used to host malware files commonly used to launch Conti ransomware attacks.

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chatlyn Unveils Hospitality Chatbot At Arabian Travel Market 2024

The advanced AI software sets new industry standards and can understand and respond to detailed customer queries.

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chatlyn unveils hospitality chatbot at arabian travel market 2024
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chatlyn, a leading provider of guest experience software for the travel and hospitality sector, has unveiled its latest AI chatbot at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024 as part of a strategic expansion into the Middle East.

The new chatbot demonstrates exceptional proficiency in understanding natural language nuances and grammatical structures, and can accommodate various languages, including Arabic. The AI bot’s capability ensures prompt, accurate responses, benefiting hotels with diverse international guest lists and significantly reducing response times.

According to chatlyn, its latest creation has “the capacity to process up to 4,000 tokens and a doubled data capacity,” and is able to outperform competitors in depth and responsiveness during every interaction. Moreover, users can upload business PDFs to receive precise answers instantly, showcasing the chatbot’s effectiveness as a dynamic knowledge repository.

“During the BETA phase, we saw customers increase their success rate in resolving queries by fifteen times simply by uploading a PDF with their information and integrating the chatbot into their main communication channels,” explained Michael Urbanek, chatlyn’s CTO.

Also Read: Joby To Establish All-Electric Air Taxi Ecosystem Across The UAE

Since its inception in late 2022, chatlyn has experienced rapid expansion, and now serves over 1,000 properties globally, including numerous renowned brands in the travel and hospitality sector.

The company’s product suite is focused on improving customer engagement in hospitality, featuring an omnichannel inbox, AI assistants, and Automation Studio, for seamless interaction across web chat, WhatsApp, email, and social media. This AI-powered platform enhances customer interactions, prioritizing satisfaction and operational efficiency.

chatlyn has already established a strong foothold in the Middle East, and now collaborates with various hospitality companies and properties, including GoMosafer, La Quinta by Wyndham, Luxury Bookings, and Amsaan Tours.

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